Envelop-opener.



A. COUSTLEY.

ENVELOP OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13, 1911.

Patentd Aug. 8, 1911.

' 1711/1211, 6072' jaromCo-msflgg invention.

thumb and forefinger. I thread a longitudinally in one ofthe folds UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

AARON COUSTLEY OF PIMPINIO, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

ENVELOP-OPENER. 1

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1911.

Application filed January 13, 1911. Serial No. 602,385.-

This invention has been devised to provide improvements in or connected with the envelops usually employed to cover correspondence and aims at afl'ordi ng increased facility and convenience in the opening of such letters by the receiver. The invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

In order that my invention may be the more easily understood, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings, in which y Figure 1 shows an envelop embodying my Fig. 2 is a similar illustration but With-part of the back turned-down for clearness. i

In these drawings a is a small stout cord or thread set in the envelop b in a peculiar manner so that it may be employed for slicing or cutting open the edge near which it is set when it is operated by the nails of the of .the envelop b' the one end, a preferably the left, being secured. in the adhesive a joining the lower flap at the bottom of the envelop; the thread a then proceeds to a slight distance past the center line ZZ of the envelop, passes outwardly through a perforation c at the bottom of the envelop b to the outside at'c, returns foma distance of about three-eighths of an inch or more and again enters the envelop in a corresponding perforation at slightly past the center line Z-.Z and runs along to the opposite bottom corner a 'Here the cord is given a slight bend in an upward direction (as shown) so that it lies in the adhesive or at the bottom right hand corner. of the lower flap and proceeds upward in same for pref-' erably about half an inch, as shown in dotted line at a the exterior part 0 of the thread inthe center of the bottom line of the enplace the smallvelop forms suflicient length for the nails of the finger and thumb to grip.

It will be seenthat in my invention a foldsevering cord is provided which extends along the interior of one of the folds of the envelop, and is cemented at its end portions to a concealed part of the envelop,'the cemented end portions constituting anchoring members which prevent endwise displacement of the cord when a lateral pull is exerted on its intermediate portion in the direction required to cause it to sever the fold. If the end portions were not thus anchored, a lateral pull exerted on the intermediate portion would be liable to draw the cord endwise through the partially severed fold before the same is completely severed. The cemented end portions are preferably bent backwardly and overhang the ends of the intermediate portion as shown by Figs. 1, and 2, so that the cemented end portions do not reduce the operative length of the intermediate severing portion, the latter extending throughout practically the entire length of the fold in which it is laid.

In the construction shown the portion a constitutes the outer stretch of a flattened loop into which the central portion of the between the perforations c and c is embraced by the flattened loop and is the first portion of the fold to be severed by the act of drawing out the portion 0 of the cord. The portions of the cord forming the inner stretch of the flattened loop are drawn through the limited central portion of the' fold before the cord commences to sever the longer end portions of the fold. When the central portion has been severed the loop bulges outwardly from the fold so that the operator can hold it firmly between his thumb andfinger and easily exert the strain required to sever the end portions of the fold, the elongation of the cord caused by the act of drawing out the loop enabling the cord to be drawn obliquely through the end portions of the fold and thus easily sever the said portions.

I claim An envelop having two perforations relatively close together in the central portion of one of its folds and an elongated foldsevering cord, the severing portion of which lies in and extends along said fold, while the end portions are cemented to covered parts of the envelop at. opposite ends of the perforated fold whereby said end portions are anchored to prevent endwise displace ment of the cord by a lateral pull exerted thereon, the severingfporti on being longer than the distance between its anchored end portions, and the central part of said severingportion bein formed into a flattened loop, the ends-o? which pass through the oeaees said perforations, the said 100p embracing the portion of the fold between the perfora tions and having an outer stretch which lies on the exterior of the fold and constitutes a handle whereby a lateral pull may be exstretch composed of two 'ert'ed on the severing portion, and an inner parts WhlCh sever the embraced portion of thefold andpermit the loop to bulge outwardly from the fold.

In testimony whereof I have signed my.

name-to this specification inthe presence of 

